Negotiations for the future collective agreement at NXP should be difficult. This metallurgic company created in 2006 to outsource Philips’ production of semiconductors is owned by American interests (80%) and the electronic giant Philips (20%). The talks, which started on December 15th, were suspended in mid-January and resumed on February 3rd. The Federation of Netherlands Unions and Allies (FNV Bondgenoten) thinks that discussions are still in danger, because the management is showing bad faith two years after a restructuring which cut 4,500 jobs out of a global workforce of 29,000 (4,800 in the Netherlands). Now, NXP wants to abolish the thirteenth month, paid annual leave and life savings (known as “levensloopregeling,” allowing since the suspension of all early retirement programs in collective agreements in 2006 to save in preparation for a long-term leave, a sabbatical or early retirement). All these benefits would be replaced by a monthly “individual budget.” Unions see this proposal as social regression. “We want a transparent and logical remuneration system that isn’t based on the bonus culture” declared Ron van Baden, negotiator for FNV and Allies. Unions also want more limits to the appeal to flexible workers (“flexwerk”), recruited on a temporary basis to avoid constraints and costs linked with the existing regulations on layoffs. Unions, for their part, want a collective agreement for all NXP employees, permanent, temporary and contractual alike.
m that isn’t based on the bonus culture” declared Ron van Baden, negotiator for FNV and Allies. Unions also want more limits to the appeal to flexible workers (“flexwerk”), recruited on a temporary basis to avoid constraints and costs linked with the existing regulations on layoffs. Unions, for their part, want a collective agreement for all NXP employees, permanent, temporary and contractual alike.
Planet Labor, February 8, 2011, No. 110086 – www.planetlabor.com
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